Princess Diana Travels The World

The new princess begins her royal duties, first at home, then around the world

This is the third installment in a series of photos and videos remembering Princess Diana as we approach the 20th anniversary of her shocking death, on Aug. 31, 1997. Please share your thoughts and memories of Diana in our Icons community forum.

As a new member of the royal ranks, Diana stepped into her official Princess of Wales role immediately. The pretty princess was barely back from her honeymoon before she was handling royal engagements, both with Prince Charles and alone. What she lacked in self-confidence in those nascent days, she made up with in flair. She could instantly connect with the people who came out in droves to see her, and her photogenic appearance gradually became a huge part of her public appeal. She grew more assured with every outing and quickly became a global sensation, adding some much-needed warmth, youth and modernity to the monarchy.

In 1983, Charles and Diana made their first official international trip, to Australia and New Zealand, where Diana quickly learned the crowd-pleasing ropes. As she made more royal trips, she dazzled in every situation, from gamely "driving" a tank at a Berlin army base to wearing the royal lady "uniform" of colorful dresses and big hats, or a tiara and elegant gown in more formal situations. At first, and especially when photographed with Prince Charles, Diana appeared demure — in Venice, for a spin in a gondola, on a royal tour of Italy; at the British Embassy and the White House, on a visit to the U.S.; on visits to France and Thailand. But on her own in Egypt and Argentina, she really began to shine — smiling, shaking hands, greeting children — discarding the hats for a sunny glow and a wardrobe of formfitting chic clothes. The real Diana, who by 1992 was separating from Charles, began to emerge as a role model for a new era of pop-star royalty.

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PHOTO BY: David Levenson/Getty Images

Diana Goes to Work

From the start of her royal duties — first at home and later around the world — Princess Diana made connections with the people who came to see her. Her natural warmth and openness made even the most official visits seem less stiff and formal. Here, on her first international trip in 1983, she used the traditional Maori greeting of a nose rub to say hello to an admirer in Auckland, New Zealand.

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PHOTO BY: Bob Thomas/Getty Images

Crowd Pleaser

The Prince and Princess of Wales, shown here in Sydney, Australia, draw huge crowds on their 1983 visit to Australia and New Zealand, their first international trip as royal ambassadors. Prince William, then nine-months-old, was with his parents (the first time a royal baby went on tour), but it was Diana the masses came out to see.

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PHOTO BY: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

Can-Do Diana

As her comfort level with being in the public eye grows, Diana proves herself game to try anything. She dons sneakers and a tracksuit and drives a tank at the Royal Hampshire Regiment Army Base in Berlin, Germany, in 1985.

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PHOTO BY: Kent Gavin/Newscom

A Grand Tour

Diana and Charles travel by gondola along the Grand Canal in Venice during their royal tour of Italy in 1985.

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PHOTO BY: Anwar Hussein/Wire Image

The Second British Invasion

Charles and Diana's visit to the U.S. in 1985 set off a major case of royal mania. Among the many sights they saw and parties they attended was a reception with Vice President George H. W. Bush and his wife, Barbara, at the British Embassy in Washington, D.C. Later on, Diana joined first lady Nancy Reagan for a tour of a Virginia drug-rehabilitation center and danced with John Travolta at the White House.

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PHOTO BY: REX/Shutterstock

Tea Ceremony

On Charles and Diana's tour of Japan in 1986, the princess donned a kimono to take part in in a traditional tea ceremony at the Shugakuin Imperial Villa gardens in Kyoto.

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PHOTO BY: John Shelley Collection/Newscom

The Sacred Temple

During their official visit to Thailand in 1988, Charles and Diana visited Wat Phra Kaew, the sacred temple of the Emerald Buddha, and signed the official guestbook. Later, Diana charmed the locals when she played the lawn game of pétanque.

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PHOTO BY: David Levenson/Getty Images

Off to the Races

In March 1989, the prince and princess embarked on a royal tour of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf, including a trip to Dubai, where she watched camel races.

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PHOTO BY: Anwar Hussein/Getty Images

The Color and Pageantry

Where Princess Diana goes, pageantry follows. During a week-long visit to India, Diana is eagerly greeted by local women at the Malu Village in Rajastan.

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PHOTO BY: Getty Images

Taking on the Troops

In 1995, Diana inspected a parade of the Light Dragoon Guards at their base in Bergen-Hohne in northern Germany.

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PHOTO BY: Tim Graham/Getty Images

A Roving Ambassador

Following her official separation from Charles, Diana continued to travel the word as a goodwill ambassador. Her 1995 trip to Argentina — after a soul-baring BBC interview about her marriage — started off a little rocky, but she won over the people with compassionate visits to an infant paralysis unit and a rehabilitation center.